BACKGROUND Helminth infections, such as soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, and lymphatic filariasis, are prevalent in many countries where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is also common. There is some evidence from observational studies that HIV and helminth co-infection may be associated with higher viral load and lower CD4+ cell counts. Treatment of helm...

The prevalence of helminthic infections in most of the developing countries is overwhelming, and almost a quarter of the world’s population is infected by them. Likewise, with the spread of the AIDS epidemic, dual helminthic and HIV-1 coinfections are extremely common, particularly in Africa [1]. Several years ago we suggested that helminth infections play a major role in the pathogenesis of HI...

Dogs are the hosts for a wide helminth spectrum including tapeworms, flatworms, and nematodes. These parasites affect the dog health and cause morbidity and mortality, especially in young and old animals. Some species, as Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Dipylidium caninum, and Echinococcus spp. are well-known zoonotic parasites worldwide, resulting in high public health risks. Poor data ab...

BACKGROUND Helminth infections are prevalent in rural areas of developing countries and have in some studies been negatively associated with allergic disorders and atopy. In this context little is known of the molecular mechanisms of modulation involved. We have characterized the innate immune responses, at the molecular level, in children according to their helminth infection status and their ...

BACKGROUND Infections with Strongyloides stercoralis and other helminths represent important, yet often neglected issues in developing countries. Indeed, strongyloidiasis can be fatal, but only a few studies provide information regarding its health relevance in Africa. Moreover, clinical data on symptomatology and typical recognition patterns mainly originate from Western travel clinics. METH...

Despite marked improvement in the quality of lives across the globe, more than 2 million individuals in socioeconomically disadvantaged environments remain infected by helminth (worm) parasites. Owing to the longevity of the worms and paucity of immunologic controls, these parasites survive for long periods within the bloodstream, lymphatics, and gastrointestinal tract resulting in pathologic c...

Helminths are parasitic worms. They are the most common infectious agents of humans in developing countries and produce a global burden of disease that exceeds better-known conditions, including malaria and tuberculosis. As we discuss here, new insights into fundamental helminth biology are accumulating through newly completed genome projects and the nascent application of transgenesis and RNA ...

Macrophages not only initiate and modulate immune responses, but also are the final effector cells. Recent studies suggested that macrophages conventionally associated with IFN-gamma dominant Th1-type responses and also playing an essential role in the Th2-type inflammatory response, exhibit a quite different activation from the classically activated macrophages (CAM Phi) stimulated during Th1-...

In nine organic swine herds, faecal excretion and pasture contamination by parasite eggs/larvae were studied in a period from March to October 1999. It was shown that the organic pigs were infected with Ascaris suum (28% of weaners, 33% of fatteners, 4% of sows), Trichuris suis (4% of weaners, 13% of fatteners, <1% of sows) and Oesophagostomum spp. (5% of weaners, 14% of fatteners, 20% of sows)...